Chicago O'Hare International to Charlotte/Douglas International ORD → CLT
521 nautical miles (599 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 139°, about 142° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 3 h at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 54-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:36 am EDT (08:36 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ORD is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 5 knots; CLT is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (250°) at 7 knots. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 8,638 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.
The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words
Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 39 to 452 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 334 to 462 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 413 to 491 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the last 88 nm of the route.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from ORD.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 5 forecast points nearest it (JOT, IND, CVG, TRI, GSP). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 300° at 17 kt | −16 kt | 136 kt | 3 h 50 min | 5:26 am EDT (09:26 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | −21 kt | 11 °C | 141 kt | 3 h 42 min | 5:18 am EDT (09:18 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 330° at 22 kt | −22 kt | 12 °C | 142 kt | 3 h 40 min | 5:16 am EDT (09:16 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 23 kt | −22 kt | 8 °C | 142 kt | 3 h 40 min | 5:16 am EDT (09:16 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 330° at 21 kt | −21 kt | 4 °C | 141 kt | 3 h 42 min | 5:18 am EDT (09:18 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 330° at 22 kt | −22 kt | 0 °C | 142 kt | 3 h 40 min | 5:16 am EDT (09:16 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 320° at 25 kt | −25 kt | -3 °C | 145 kt | 3 h 36 min | 5:12 am EDT (09:12 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 27 kt | −27 kt | -6 °C | 147 kt | 3 h 33 min | 5:09 am EDT (09:09 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 28 kt | −28 kt | -7 °C | 148 kt | 3 h 31 min | 5:07 am EDT (09:07 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 33 kt | −34 kt | -19 °C | 154 kt | 3 h 23 min | 4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 41 kt | −41 kt | -34 °C | 161 kt | 3 h 14 min | 4:50 am EDT (08:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 54 kt | −54 kt | -41 °C | 174 kt | 3 h | 4:36 am EDT (08:36 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 49 kt | −49 kt | -49 °C | 169 kt | 3 h 05 min | 4:41 am EDT (08:41 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.
The forecast points as issued
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| IND | used from 98 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| CVG | used from 196 nm out; 9 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
| TRI | used from 344 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 330/22 11° | 330/29 7° | 330/32 3° | 330/36 -8° | 320/34 -19° | 320/36 -34° | 320/43 -39° | 320/46 -47° | |
| GSP | used from 491 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 320/22 | 340/19 13° | 320/18 8° | 310/24 5° | 300/34 -7° | 300/36 -18° | 290/30 -33° | 300/32 -39° | 320/42 -49° |
The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago, IL | departure | VFR | from the south (180°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 680 ft | 11:51 pm CDT (04:51 UTC) |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 29 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 596 ft | 05:15 UTC |
| GGP Logansport, IN | 98 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | no report just now | 738 ft | ||||
| GUS Peru, IN | 108 nm out, 9 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 810 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| AID Anderson, IN | 157 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 919 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| CVG Covington, KY | 226 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 5 mi | none | 896 ft | 04:52 UTC |
| SYM Morehead, KY | 305 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: light rain | variable at 5 knots | 1.5 mi | 300 ft | 1,028 ft | 23:22 UTC |
| JKL Jackson, KY | 334 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: mist | variable at 3 knots | 3 mi | 200 ft | 1,380 ft | 05:20 UTC |
| TRI Bristol/Johnson/Kingsport, TN | 413 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,200 feet, a broken layer at 2,000 feet, overcast at 2,600 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 2,000 ft | 1,518 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| VJI Abingdon, VA | 422 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 400 feet, a broken layer at 1,000 feet, overcast at 1,400 feet Weather: light drizzle | from the west-southwest (250°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 2,087 ft | 05:15 UTC |
| HKY Hickory, NC | 481 nm out, 2 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (270°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,189 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| CLT Charlotte, NC | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 747 ft | 12:52 am EDT (04:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,087 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At CLT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:36 am EDT (08:36 UTC)
Wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for CLT
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for ORD, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 226 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at CLT 6:52 pm EDT (22:52 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm EDT (23:18 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CLT is before sunrise there (7:27 am EDT (11:27 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Chicago O'Hare International, Charlotte/Douglas International.